Bichabd wheeler



(No Model.)

B. WHEELER.

OANNING APPARATUS.

Patented Jan. 15, 1884.

ihvrrnn STATES RICHARD VHEELER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CANNING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,080, dated January 15, 1854.

Application filed June 16, 1883.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, RICHARD WHEELER, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Canning Apparatus; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to an apparatus for putting up hermetically-sealed goods of all descriptions, in which a reservoir and heater are employed with a series of separate inclosed chambers to contain the cans or jars, and a means for supplying steam or hot air.

My present invention consists in certain improvements in the chambers for retaining the jars or cans in a central position, in a shield or means for protecting the operator from escaping steam when the door of the apparatus is opened, and in an exterior double-walled case having openings and valves, through which hot air may be. admitted around the inner chambers, so as to partially superheat the steam; and also to certain details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of my apparatus with a portion of one side broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section.

' A is a hot air or water reservoir, having a furnace beneath, by which it is heated; and B is a case above the reservoir, within which any number of perforated trays, C, are placed, having a network or other device to allow the free circulation of steam within the smaller separate chambers D, which are designed to receive the cans or jars to be treated. In order to retain these jars in a central position, I stretch wires E across the chambers D, upon four sides, and at such a distance from their inner sides as to allow the cans or jars to pass between them, and be held centrally by a firm elastic pressure, so that the steam can pass up equally on all sides.

F is a secondary door, which fits the interior of the case within the main door. This door is not hinged to the case, but has a flap, G, hinged to its lower edge, so as to hang down into the reservoir and prevent the bottom of the door from being drawn out. The

.(No model.)

upper part has also an outwardly-turned flap, H, which serves as a handle to open or close it. The width of the door F is just sufficient to allow it to lie flat and slide into the case and cover the reservoir, if desired, and when the trays are in place it may be drawn out, and when the stop or fiap G reaches the inner edge of the reservoir the door may be turned up and fill the front opening, after which the main door may be closed.

Around the outside of case B is an inclosing jacket or case, I, placed at a sufficient distance to form a space through which the hot air of the furnace may pass, and thus increase the temperature of the steam within the inner case. Openings J are made along the sides, and dampers or valves K are operated by handles L, so as to open or close them, and

thus control the passage of the heat. The degree of heat is shown by a thermometer upon the top of the canning apparatus. This thermometer is inclosed in a case with glass sides, sealed upon the top and open at the bottom, and connected with the interior top of the canning apparatus, so as to allow the admission of steam. Underneath, and connected with the boiler, is a pipe attached to a water-sup ply which feeds the boiler, an overflow-pipe being connected with the opposite side, so that any number of boilers may be supplied from one feed-opening. and a watergage may be attached to show the quantity of water.

I am aware of the existence of my former patent, the same bearing date of January 9, 1883, and being numbered 27 0,529, and of all that is claimed therein and covered thereby, and I do not intend in this application to claim anything granted me in that application; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, anddcsire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a canning apparatus, a containing-case having perforated floors or trays with independent chambers adapted to contain the cans or jars to be treated, and a heater from which the hot air or steam may be introduced to the chambers, in combination with a secondary sliding door, which may serve also as a bottom, substantially as herein described.

2. In a canning apparatus, a containing-case with perforated floors or trays having independent chambers for the cans or jars to be treated, adapted to receive steam or hot air from a heater below, and a main door, in combination with a secondary sliding door having leaves or flaps hinged to its opposite ends, substantially as herein described.

8. In a canning apparatus, a containing-case with perforated floors or trays having independent chambers for the cans or jars tobe treated, and a heater from which hot air or steam may be introduced to the chambers, in combination with wires or elastic guards E, crossing the chambers outside the jars, substantially as herein described.

4. In acanning apparatus, a containing-case having perforated floors or trays with cham hers adapted to receive the cans or jars to be treated, and a heater from which hot air or steam may be introduced to the chambers, in combination with an exterior case forming a space between itself and the interior one, and a Witnesses:

G. B. STUDLEY, S. H. NoURsn. 

